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Charity calls for exemption from new travel rules for assistance dogs
The new rules mean that guide dog puppies would not be able to be sent to NI until they are at lease 15 weeks old.

Group suspends supply of guide dog puppies to NI

The charity Guide Dogs has expressed disappointment regarding the post-Brexit travel rules and the barriers they present for assistance dogs travelling from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.

The formal agreement of the new Irish Sea border means that the new pet travel rules for travel to the EU also apply to Northern Ireland. Under these rules, pets entering Northern Ireland from Great Britain have to have certain paperwork and must be vaccinated against rabies 21 days before travel.

Typically guide dog puppies are sent for early training at eight weeks old, staying with their carer until they can begin their specialised training in a Guide Dogs' centre at 12-16 months old.

But, as they cannot be vaccinated for rabies until 12 weeks old, the earliest a guide dog puppy could enter NI from Britain is 15 weeks.

Speaking to the BBC, a spokesperson for Guide Dogs said that this delay will cause the puppies to miss out on essential training at a time key time in their socialisation and development. In addition, the charity added that it would not be best for the puppy's welfare to travel during this period.

Although trained adult assistance dogs will still be supplied to Northern Ireland, the issues that the new rules impose on training and socialisation have led Guide Dogs to suspend the placement of puppies in Northern Ireland.

The charity trains more than 1,000 guide dog puppies each year that go on to support and improve the lives of some 200,000 people with sight loss living in the UK.

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Practices urged to audit neutering data

News Story 1
 RCVS Knowledge has called on vet practices to audit their post-operative neutering outcomes.

It follows the release of the 2024 NASAN benchmarking report, which collates data from neutering procedures performed on dogs, cats and rabbits.

The benchmarking report enables practices in the UK and Ireland to compare their post-operative outcomes to the national average. This includes the rate of patients lost to follow-up, which in 2024 increased to 23 per cent.

Anyone from the practice can submit the data using a free template. The deadline for next report is February 2026.

Visit the RCVS Knowledge website to complete an audit. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
New guidance for antibiotic use in rabbits

New best practice guidance on the responsible use of antibiotics in rabbits has been published by the BSAVA in collaboration with the Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund (RWA&F).

The guidance is free and has been produced to help veterinary practitioners select the most appropriate antibiotic for rabbits. It covers active substance, dose and route of administration all of which are crucial factors when treating rabbits owing to the risk of enterotoxaemia.

For more information and to access the guide, visit the BSAVALibrary.